Contemporary historians consider the 1970's a "pivot of change" in world history due to an engaging wave of social progressivism within the Western World. Amidst economic and societal reforms, tides to unionize factory workers had washed over from shores of the 1880's Knights of Labor, only to crash onto rocky beaches of the 1970's unfair labor conditions. "Norma Rae" is based on the story of Crystal Lee Sutton's life as a textile laborer, working beneath employers in a poor environment, that stands up to obtuse societal normalities. The film does a surprising job at portraying the struggles faced when unionizing is attempted. Unbeknownst to most, a dream to unionize often separates a reformer, as well as creates opposite factions within a community. These two factions, those who want change compared to those who are content with the status quo, are depicted very well in the film via Reuben Warshowsky, a labor activist who supports progression, and the textile factory owners, who promote disdain and contempt towards reform. The film instills a sense of pro-unionism within a viewer, which isn't bad-actually, quite the contrary-it's good! "Norma Rae" does a fantastic job at revealing injustices, and promoting a positive cause. To the films disadvantage, it fails to address other problems facing labor unions outside of the factory. Rather ironic, given the movie focuses on unionization, yet fails to unite other platforms for labor progression. This inability does NOT downplay the great screen writing or acting produced, but it fails to communicate different forms of injustice surrounding labor. While focusing on changes in the factory, the film fails to represent problems facing migrant workers in the west along with mining industry in the northeast. The most powerful scene from the film is the dramatization of Crystal Lee Sutton's actual protest, in the mill, where she creates a sign reading "UNION" and stands on her worktable until all machines slow to a silence. Alongside other meaningful scenes, including confrontations with her family, protagonist Norma Rae (a representation of Crystal Lee Sutton) literally taking a stand against injustice in the workplace in both historically significant as well as emotionally. In total, "Norma Rae" works on all levels with the means to tell an amazing story, along with the ability to support a just cause.

This is a very good movie. It is extremely fun to watch. The movie is simple to explain, basically the movie is about a labor organizer who comes to a small southern town with the mission to set up a labor union at the local cotton mill. Obviously, the mill does not want it's workers to organize. After the organizer arrives he ends up making friends with a worker at the mill. Obviously there is more to the story then this but this is the basic synopsis. The film does a good job of telling the story of how some of the blue collar workers are treated in our country. The quality of the film stock reminds me of a B movie. But the acting and story are superb and nothing short of a quality A list flick. I know the movie came out in 1979, so I was expecting a little lower quality film stock but this is so far below the standards of the time that I think it was by design to help put the viewers in the shoes of the cotton mill workers. The trick was nothing short of effective, I think this low quality of the film's picture helped put me in the right frame of mind. As far as the acting goes it is great. In fact Sally field wan an Oscar for her performance in the movie. And I think the labor organizer at least deserved a nomination. The other Oscar that the film won was for Best Original Song, and the song deserved it. The music here is simple and the song defiantly anchors the light soundtrack. Other then these two wins the film was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. Those last two nominations go to show just how good this movie really is!!! Take my advise, WATCH IT!

Norma Rae is a wonderful film and even an important one about right and wrong at work. It not only redefined what a female lead could do, it had the courage to do so during the late eighties, when such things as unions were seen as almost working against the free market. Norma Rae reminds us that work should benefit all (And 85% if the private workforce are not managers or bosses after all).Yet, it remains one of the most inspirational and morally upright films; but it avoids preaching, and instead shows real heart and simple folk just trying to get on with living.Based on true events around the Alabama textile industry and the incredibly hard working conditions that are like something out of 19th Century Britain, Norma Rae hits home run after home run with scene after scene that are still today as real as they were in 1989.Above all, this is a human story; it doesn't sell politics or make out that unions are the answer to everything; instead it shows through a great story arc and first class acting that one person's moral compass can make a difference...It really deserved its Oscar, just wish they would make more films like this: a tale of real courage, determination, and human will.

Before writing this review I noted that Norma Rae was shot entirely in the state of Alabama, a state known for its anti-union tradition. Was this director Martin Ritt having a private joke shooting it there and did the Alabama film commission know exactly what Ritt was making?The attitudes of the management of the textile mill are pretty typical of Alabama. They want no union no how and no Jewish organizer from New York played by Ron Leibman here is going to change things. Leibman knows he's going to meet cultural resistance so he's got to get a point person among the workers to carry the ball.The person Leibman chooses is Norma Rae played by Sally Field in what turned out to be her first Best Actress Award winning performance. Field is at first glance about as typical as you can get for a textile mill worker. But Field slowly but surely brings out the fact that Norma Rae is a woman who is curious about the world and knows intuitively there's something better out there. The way to get it for herself and her co-workers is to have that union and have some strength in dealing with management.Sally Field's career ever since she left television and Gidget and The Flying Nun had her playing mostly women of a southern rural background, she seems to have taken a patent out on those parts. Right from films like The Way West through the films she did with Burt Reynolds, it seems almost like she was preparing for the parts that got her the Academy Award. I don't think it's a coincidence that her second Oscar for one of the most beautiful films of the Eighties, Places In The Heart is also for a southern woman in a rural setting.Field also gets good support from Beau Bridges whom she finds time to romance and wed while doing all her union organizing and from Pat Hingle playing her father.Besides Field's Oscar for Best Actress, Norma Rae won a second Oscar for Best Song for It Goes Like It Goes which is sung at the opening and closing credits by Jennifer Warnes. Thirty years after Norma Rae was released, I'm almost afraid to say it, but that mill town has probably lost the textile mill to China or to the third world. Hopefully some Norma Raes will emerge in those populations as well.